RoughRiders\' Carlson Named USHL Coach of the Year
Published on April 13, 2005 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders News Release
Cedar Rapids, Iowa- Cedar Rapids RoughRiders coach and general manager Mark Carlson has been named 2004-05 United States Hockey League Coach of the Year, the league announced today.
In addition, three Rider players- forward Ted Purcell, defenseman Shane Lovdahl and goaltender Dan Tormey- were named to the All-USHL Second Team.
"Being named Coach of the Year is certainly a tremendous honor both personally and for our entire organization," said Carlson. "This, like many of or other achievements this season, is really a tribute to all of our players and our entire staff for all the hard work they have put in and all the dedication they have shown throughout the season."
Carlson, now in his sixth season behind the Cedar Rapids bench, is the only coach the Riders have ever known. This season Carlson piloted the Riders to a share of the USHL's Anderson Cup regular season title for the first time in team history and the first East Division championship in club history.
"Coach Carlson has done an outstanding job of building a superb hockey team and leading it to unprecedented success," said RoughRiders Vice President of Operations Jim Calpin. "There could no more deserving a winner of this award than him."
Under Carlson's direction, the Riders (42-13-5, 89 points) this season set club records for wins, points, road wins, goals scored and fewest goals allowed. The Riders also set USHL records for road wins and longest road winning streak. The Riders finished the regular season with a winning record for the fifth straight year.
The Riders last night completed a three-game first round playoff sweep of the Indiana Ice with a 5-4 overtime win in Indianapolis. This marks the third time in the last four years that Carlson has steered the Riders to the Clark Cup semi-finals. Under Carlson, the Riders have qualified for the post season five straight years. Cedar Rapids is one of just three USHL teams to have appeared in the playoffs each of the last five springs.
Overall, Carlson has gone 185-138-32 in 355 regular season games as the Riders' coach. Carlson reached the 150 victory plateau on October 30, 2004 as the RoughRiders defeated Indiana 4-3. He earned his one hundredth coaching win on January 11, 2003 when the RoughRiders downed the Sioux City Musketeers 3-1.
15 current Riders have already made college commitments. In his six years in Cedar Rapids, better than 50 of Carlson's players have earned college scholarships.
Prior to taking over the RoughRiders in 1999, Carlson spent four seasons as a collegiate assistant coach at Northeastern and Massachusetts-Lowell. In his playing days, Carlson was a forward at Lowell and was a 1987 draft pick of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins.
Purcell (20-47-67) finished the regular season ranked second in the USHL in assists and fourth in points. The 19-year old St. John's, Newfoundland, native also set Rider single season records for most assists and points in this, his first year in Cedar Rapids.
Purcell is currently in the midst of a ten game point scoring streak. He has ripped off four goals, 14 assists and 18 points over the course of the Riders' final seven regular season games and first three playoff contests.
Purcell will play his college hockey for perennial power Maine.
Lovdahl (7-32-39) led all USHL defensemen in points this season and finished second among blue liners in assists while playing in all 60 regular season games. The 20-year old Alaskan also set new club single season records for points and assists by a defenseman. In addition, Lovdahl ranked fourth in the league in plus/minus rating (+28).
Over the course of his three year Rider career Lovdahl has totaled 20 goals and 52 assists for 72 points in 171 games. Lovdahl will return to his hometown next season to begin his college career at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
Tormey, 20, finished the regular season as the USHL leader in save percentage (.926), ranked second in goals against average (2.25), was tied for third in shutouts (3) and finished fourth in wins while posting a hugely impressive 23-4-1 record in 32 games.
Tormey went 2-0 with a 3.38 goals against average and a .892 save percentage in the the Riders' opening round playoff series against Indiana. Tormey made 34 saves- including 21 in the third period alone- in last night's series-clinching win in Indianapolis.
Tormey was twice named the USHL Defensive Player of the Week during the regular season. The Syracuse, New York, native received the honor for the second time just last week after he stopped a remarkable 48 shots on Saturday, April 2 as the Riders won their final game of the regular season 4-2 over the Green Bay Gamblers. With 48 saves, Tormey matched the personal USHL career high and league season high he set in a 3-1 win in Green Bay on February 26. Tormey's heroics in the final contest of the campaign came on the heels of a 34-save effort in the Riders' 4-1 victory over the Gamblers one night earlier.
The Riders acquired Tormey in a December, 2003 trade with the Des Moines Buccaneers. The Syracuse, New York, native went 4-6 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .921 save percentage in 12 games after joining the Riders last season. He played a total of 23 games between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines last year and posted an overall record of 10-13 while turning in a 3.11 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. Tormey began his USHL career in 2002-03 with the River City Lancers.
"I am extremely proud of these three young men," said Carlson. "They should also be very proud of themselves for all the effort, determination and willingness to work hard they have shown this season."
This marks the first season in team history that more than one Rider has earned All-USHL honors. In fact, more Riders made the All-USHL Team this season than in the club's first five years combined. Defenseman Derek Peltier (2003-04) and goaltender Bobby Goepfert (2001-02) were the only Riders to be named to the All-USHL Team prior to this season.
Only the Omaha Lancers had more players- four- named to this season's All-USHL First and Second Teams than the Riders.
The RoughRiders will open the best-of-five East Division finals next week against the winner of the Waterloo Black Hawks-Chicago Steel opening round series. The Black Hawks lead the series two games to none and will try to complete the sweep of the Steel when the two teams meet tonight in Bensenville, Illlinois. The schedule for the division finals will only be finalized once the Riders' opponent is determined.
Tickets for the division finals are currently on sale at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office (261-4625). Playoff ticket prices range from $9 to $18.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 13, 2005
- RoughRiders' Carlson Named USHL Coach of the Year - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Gorowsky Named to All-USHL Rookie Team - Sioux Falls Stampede
- 2004-05 United States Hockey League Awards Announced - USHL
- Tickets for Musketeer's first home game of the Western Conference finals on sale now - Sioux City Musketeers
- Clark Cup update - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Storm Slip By Lancers in Overtime 3-2, Lead Series 2-1 - Omaha Lancers
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